Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony was involved in a fatal shooting in Philadelphia when he was 14 years old, according to the online news website Florida Bulldog.
The report states the incident, which occurred on May 3, 1993, resulted in Tony initially being charged as an adult. Tony was found not guilty when the homicide trial was moved to juvenile court. The judge then sealed the court file.
Florida Bulldog writes that Tony responded, as part of an email, that “I shot an armed man in self-defense” and that it “was the most difficult and painful experience of my life.”
However, people who are close to the victim dispute Tony’s account of the event.
To read the full report, go to floridabulldog.org.
Sheriff Gregory Tony’s secret: As a teenager, he shot and killed a man https://t.co/o6ux6utIO1
— Florida Bulldog (@Florida_Bulldog) May 2, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Tony in January of last year to replace former Sheriff Scott Israel, whom he suspended for what DeSantis considered the Sheriff’s Office’s failures in mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2017.
At the time of his appointment to sheriff, Tony, who had been a Coral Springs police sergeant, was operating a consulting business that offers training on active shooter situation.
Bell has accused Tony of failing to provide deputies with sufficient protective equipment in order to fight COVID-19.
Several days later, the sheriff suspended Bell, alleging that he made false statements.
On April 20, the deputies union voted that it has no confidence in Tony as their sheriff.